The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-31
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LEFT TO DIE IN THE LAKE.
THE VERNON'S SHIPWRECKED
PEOPLE SEEN ADRIFT.

A High Sea and Damage to Her Rud-
der Prevented the Steamer Superior
from Attempting a Rescue-A Posi-
bility that They Were Picked Up by
a Schooner, but Death Probable.
MILWAUKEE, WIS, Oct. 30.-The steam
ship Superior arrived here last night and
brought the first news of the total wreck Of
large passenger propeller off Monitowoc.
Wis. That the wreck is that of
the propeller Vernon, of the Northern
Michigan line, is established beyond doubt.
She was due here yesterday, and from
the description of fragments seen by the
crew OF the Superior, her owners here con-
slider her identity fully established She
had on board crew of twenty-five men
and several passengers, the exact number
not being known, and it is supposed that
all hands perished. Capt. Moran, of the
Superior, saw three or four RATS with men
clinging to them, and also a small boat con-
tanning woman and three men.
COULDN'T RESCUE THEM
Although he made an effort to rescue
them, the high sea prevented the rendering
of any assistance, the Superior being herself
disabled and requiring the crews best
efforts. 1t was about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing when the first signs of the wreck in the
shape of floating cargo and furniture were
seen. About an hour later the RATS were
sighted. On some the occupants were al
most gone, while others signalled the Su-
perior.
Capt. Williams, of the schooner Joseph
Paige, arrived last night at 9 O'Clock, and
reported having seen wreckage about six
miles east of Two Rivers Point, evidently
hat. a Al,
saw body, and piece of pilot house with
man on it was next seen. The sea was
running so high that it was impossible for
the Joseph Paige to get near enough to pick
the men up.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
Capt. Moran, of the steamship Superior,
brought the first news of the wreck. He
said: ITO pass one man on a raft appeal
ing for our help, another dying from ex.
posure aud a small boat in which we could
see one woman and three men, one waving
coat to attract attention and tossed about
in the terrible sea without our being able
to render them any assistance, was heart
rending in the extreme" He said further,
tWe were also fighting for our lives. With
the exception of the crew every
man was down below. Our tiller
had become disconnected from the rudder
post, leaving us at the mercy of the seas
until we managed to rig up temporary
tackle With this we kept our vessel out
of the trough of the sea and kept her before
the gale. 1t was three hours before we
could handle ourselves, and then we were
out OF sight of the shipwrecked men
MAY BE SAVED.
"There is a possibility that large
| schooner coming up the lake after us may
have picked up the persons in the boat.
| She flran nj q fOftr fuilac ~
| and ] could see through the glass that she
was heading toward them. But she may
have been bound for Monitowoc, and could
have passed without seeing them. There
was little possibility that she could have
taken the man Off the raft, and it is very
doubtful if she could pick up the
yawl in such a sea. If she could get close
enough to throw them a line as she scudded
by, and they held on to it there might be
chance for them to be saved 1t was as
heavy sea as / have experienced in all my
life on the lakes. The Sanduskey which we
had in tow, sometimes buried herself so that
only half of her masts could be seen. Once
she stayed under so long that thought she
was gone"
SHE WAS UNsEAwoRTHY.
Many will attribute the vessels loss TO
overlooking. Without cargo she was a
deeper draft vessel than any on the lakes,
and it was impossible to load her with profit
to her owners without making her unsea-
worthy. In order to obtain great speed her
builder sacrificed buoyancy and stability and
every experienced man who saw the Vernon
after she was launched predicted that she
would sooner or later meet with disaster.
DECLARED srAUNCH.
CHICAGO, Oct 30.-The news of the loss
of the propeller Vernon was received among
Chicago vessel men with great surprise, as
she was recognized by them as one of the
staunchest boats for her size that was on the
lakes, and captains who had sailed her all
agree that she should weather the toughest
storm If handled properly. As the
vessel had four good boats it is
thought some of the thirty or more aboard
must have escaped. The night was freez-
ingly cold Nothing is known as to what
passengers were aboard. The captain of
one vessel reports passing three dead bodies
near Three Rivers. The vessel cost $63 900
and was insured for $37, 600.